Shutter construction



June 5, 1934.

J. L. BARTH 7 1,961,327

SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION Filed June 8, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l V531,270 of Cleveland, Ohio, as executor of the estate of i wardly at `awning as is disclosed in said pending application,

'i where ventilation and a Patented June 5, 1934 NETE,

STATES ist-1,327

PATENT orgies by rnesne assignments, liank, Cleveland, hio,

to The National City and Elizabeth W. Vail,

Cleveland Heights, Ohio, oe3-trustees under the wiil of George I. Vail, deceased .Application .lune 8, 1931, Serial No. 542,833

1d Claims.

This invention particularly relates to improvements in shutter constructions Vof the character shown in a co-pending application Serial No. assigned to The Guardian Trust Company George I. Vail, the applicant.

This invention relates to blinds or shutters adapted to be moved laterally or to be swung outthe bottom after the manner of an but has in view a simplied constrnction of the supporting for the blinds, as well as a simplified and partially concealed operating means therefore, and an interlocking construction prel'venting either lateral movement of the shutters after outward movement has commenced or outward movement after lateral movement has commenced. l

This shutter construction is adapted to cover an l' opening into the chamber of a dwelling or to be applied to a porch or like structure associated with a dwelling, or to be used in connection with any building wherein control of the access of light and air into the interior thereof is desired, or nieasure of protection from the elements is of advantage. Such device is supported over the opening into the building or other structure by means of a supporting trackway secured above the opening, which permits the shutter to be moved parallel to the plane of the trackway to substantially the usual position of a shutter blind at the side of the window, or to be moved outwardly from the base of the window to an inclined position, suclras is usually v provided by an awning, thus providing ventilation without uncovering the window.

The shutter blinds may have a skeleton frame and a plurality of spaced overlapping plates pivoted at their ends in the frame so that such plates may be utilized in the manner and for the purposes customary for devices of this character and modify the degree of ventilation or protection from direct sunlight according to the desires of the user of the structure.

The improvements in the device herein shown, described and claimed have all of the advantages above referred to in addition to permitting economical manufacture and easy operation and furnishing a rigid mounting to prevent injury to the structure in the event of severe weather con ditions. Other improvements shown, described and claimed in this application relate to a novel positioning device for the awning shutter which may be operated from within the building and Vwhich carries certain interlocking elements to (ci. sia-59) prevent interference between the two distinct di rections of adjustment of the shutter blinds, lat erally and outwardly, respectively.

The annexed drawings and the description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, such means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be illustrated.

Insaid annexed drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one side of a window provided with the improved shutter construction,V a cooperating pair of the shutter blindsbeing shown, one in closed and one in laterally adjusted open position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 2*-2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; l

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial horizontal sectional view taken in theplane indicated by the line 3 3, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial vertical section and a partial side elevation taken in the plane indicated by thev line 4--4, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrows; so A Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical broken sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 55, Fig. l, looking in the direction oi the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sidel elevation taken in the plane indicated by the line -d-shown in Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, certain cable elements being omitted; i

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectionalview taken inv the plane indicated by the line 7 7, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Y

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing the shutters swung outwardly;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 7, as seen in the plane indicated by the line 9-9 Fig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the lower edge of the shutter and the operating elementslconnected therewith;

Fig. l0 is an enlarged view partially in section taken inthe plane indicated by theline 10-l0. Fig. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 8, as shown in the plane indicated by the line- 11-11, Fig. l2, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the lower edge of the shutter and the operating elements connected therewith in interlocking positon; and,

Fig. 12 is an enlarged View partially in section 110 taken in the plane indicated by the line 12--12, Fig. 11, looking in the direction of the arorws.

Referring to the annexed drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same respective numbers in the several figures, a window frame or casing l is iitted to a building wall having suitable opening therefor. The casing may include a trimmer member 3 to which sheathing 4 and a plaster wall 5 are attached, and against the ends of which the inner frame member 6 is seated. A parting -strip 7 extends vertically the full length of said frame between the upper and lower sashes 8 and 9, respectively. A blind stop 10 and inside stop 11 are also shown. An upper frame member 12 serves as a means of attachment for an angular runway 13 forming a support and track for a pair or shutters or blinds 14, 15 adapted to abut and intert at their inner side edges, through the provision of ofsets, 16, 17, on their inner and outer margins, respectively, for overlapping engagement.

The tracliway 13, as best seen in Figure 4, comprises a strip of angle iron held by screws 18, so as `to present an upwardly projecting ange in spaced relation to the outer surface of the frame member. A visor, 19, formed of a metal strip is kpositioned in spaced relation above said trackway to prevent moisture entering the space between the shutters and the building from above. The upper portion 21 of the outer window frame may be formed with an ornamental effect of any desired character. Y

The means for slidably supportnig the shutters upon the trackway comprise inwardly projecting strips, 22, of wood or other suitable material secured to the upper edge of Yeach oi the blinds suitably beveled at their free inner edges 23, to provide greater clearance between the upper inner edge of said strip and the adjacent outer surface of the casing. A guard strip 24 which may be formed of wood or other suitable material, is secured to the under face of said inwardly projecting strip in spaced relation yto the inner face of the shutter to provide a channelway for engaging over said trackway. The guard strip is beveled on its outer surface 25 so asto provide greater clearanceadjacent its lower portion than at its upper portion from the adjacent upstanding edge of said trackway.

The beveling or" the inwardly projecting strip and theguard strip provides sufficient clearance to allow each shutter to be swung about the trackway as a pivot when the shutters are to be used in the manner ci awnings and moved outwardly from the base of the window without uncovering the area of the window. A stop member in the form of a pin 26,is engaged in the upper portion of the shutter at a point spaced slightly below the lower edge of the trackway, to prevent upward disengagement of the shutter from the trackway. The inwardly projecting strip extends the full length of the top edge of each or" the shutters and thus serves to prevent the entrance ofdirt or Y moisture between said shutters and the adjacent wall of the building, together with the protection aiorded by the visor 19, heretofore described. To increase this protective effect a strip 27 is mountedon the upper face of the inwardly projecting strip, with a beveled outer face spaced with small clearance from the inner face of the visor to form an even more eiective weather protection than would be afforded by the inwardly projecting strip itself.

At the outer vertical edge'of each'oi the shuttersY arearwardly extending strip or ilange 28,'is provided, which when the shutters are closed lie closely adjacent to the frame member 29 as is clearly shown on the lefthand side of Fig. 2 of the drawings. However, these edge strips 28, are not so deep as to Contact with the building or the frame member 29vwhen the shutters are moved, inasmuch as the construction is such as to provide a slight space between the extreme rearward edge of the strip and the frame member.

The trackway is formed with end stops 20, which determine the extreme limit of opening movement of the shutters in a iateral direction, and a central stop 30 mounted on said trackway serves to prevent the shutters moving past the center line of thewindow. For guiding the shuttersV at their bottom edges during these lateral opening and closing movements, guide clips 31, are provided, which are secured by screws to the window sill 32, and have angular, outwardly extended upper portions which thus provide recesses between sill and the end portions within which may slide guide plates 33, secured by screws `to the inner faces of the blinds and adjacent the bottom edges of the latter and downwardly extendingbeyond the extreme bottom edges of the shutters, as shown in Figure 1. The guide clips 3l, are simply straps, as is clearly shown in Figure 1, and cooperate with the guide plates 33, only after the shutters have been shifted laterally to some extent from their central position.

rhe means for shifting the shutters transversely of the trackway will now be described. Such means preferably comprises a pair of flexible members 34, 35, which may be designated cables and which may be in the form of chains, wires, cords, or any other suitable flexible members. These members are used in pairs, the ends oi which are connected, respectively, with the respective inner and outer edges of each of 'the shutters adjacent their upper portions, but spaced a slight distance below the trackway. They may be secured to the shutters by means of screw eyes, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the screw eye 36, ofl one of said flexible members being secured to the inner face oi the shutter adjacent its inner edge, and the screw eye 3'7, of the other flexible member being ,secured to the rearwardly projecting flange strip 28, provided adjacent the outer edge of such shutter as here toiore described.

The operating cables are led into the interior of the building through a passageway 41, formed in the casing adjacent the upper portion thereof. Said passageway maybeformed as an outwardly flared opening protectedV by a pair of metal lining members 42, secured by screws, as is shown in Figures 3 and 6, which provide a metal to .metal contact for the cables and reduce the amount of friction at that point. A pair of holes', 43,' 44, is provided for the cables through which they pass into the interior of the building, through the inner wall 5, and finishing strip 45. An apertured metal bearingy plate 46 is mounted on said strip for each. of said cables to pass through, such plate having a rounded bearing member 47 over which thechain easily slides. The free end of each chain is provided with an operating membery which may be in the form oi a weighted handle 48. A pin'49'mounted on a base plate secured to the window frame beneath each bearing memisc' -gy nur) ber may be used as alocking member against laty shutters are closed.V

For .guiding and v'holdingthe shutters at the bottom. when they are lentirely closed, or just 1".'

commencing their opening movement, or just nishing their closing movement, clips 51 are provided, secured by screws to the inner face of the shutters, adjacent the respective inner, lower edges oi the latter, and having angular, inwardly extended end portions adapted to engage an adjacent exterior transverse plate 52, secured intermediate its ends to a two-part spring plate member 53 which controls the opening movements oi the shutters at the bottom.

"The spring plate member preferably formed as'a two-part structure comprising a superposed pair of plates, each of thin iiexible material, and disposed in a transverse hole formed 'in the sill 32 and having 'vertically extended angular end portions 54 passed through and upwardly of a recess in the sill and secured to the transverse plate 52 centrally thereof by riveting or other suitable means. i The lower edge oi the transverse plate 52 is positioned in a horizontal piane spaced above the top surface oi the sill.

This transverse plate 52 intersects the plane oi the abutting inner edges of the shutters, as seen in Figures l, 2, and 7 toy 12, and, therefore', serves as a guide plate for both of the clips secured to the pair of shutters. This construction permits the spring plate member to push the bottom oi both shutters outwardly and to close them by pulling upon them through the clips 51. The transverse plate as is clearly shown in Figures 10 to 12, inclusive, is formed at its lower edge with a pair of spaced notches 55 at either side ci the edges of the upturned portions 54 of the two-part spring plate member 53. Immediately beneath the lower edge of the transverse plate in vertical alinernent with each of the notches 55 when the shutters are closed, an inwardly projecting pin 55 is provided, said pins being mounted on the respective guide plates 33 at the lower inner edge of the shutters. Y

When the spring plate is forced outwardly the transverse plate 52 is held in the narrow space provided between the clips 51 and the adjacent surface of the shutter and the notches 55 are engaged against the pins 5-3 respectively as the lower edge of theshutter describes an outward are of movement (see Figures 11 and 12), and the transverse plate is held in firm interlocking engagement with the lower inner edges of the shutters during the outward movement of the shutters. When the transverse plate is thus interloclred with the shutters, neither shutter may be moved transversely. The central stop also prevents lateral movement of the pairs of shutters when thus interlocked. Thus the shutters are safe against injury through accidental pulling on the chains as transverse movement cannot be caused when the shutters are in the outward position. When drawn inwardly the spring plate member is freed of the interlocking engagement with the adjacent spring clips (see Figures 9 and le) and each of the shutters may be moved laterally without any interference whatsoever from the spring plate member or its associated transverse plate, as the lower edge of the transverse plate 52 is above the position or the pins 56.

The inner ends 57 oi the two-part spring plate member 53 are jointed to the main plate bodies, and extend inwardly of the room for which the window is provided, this arrangement permitting the adjustment or" the shutters from within the room and also permitting the turning laterally of the inner plate ends substantiallyA parallel with the window frame when the shutters are closed.

The two-part spring plate member 53 is formed of plates so thin that they will flex easily to describe the necessary arc through which they mustl travel during the opening and closing oi the bottom of the shutters.V As stated, when'moved outwardly the transverse plate 52 and its notches 55 is held in engagement with the pins 56 and is also positioned withinthe clips 51, and the ilexibility ofthe outer ends of the two-part plate member permits this movement to be had with the greatest freedom of action.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead ci the one explained, change being made as ,regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

` I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention: 1

1. v A shutter construction for building openings comprising a supporting trackway adapted to be positioned above a building opening, a pair of shutter blinds each' having-means for slidably and pivotally engaging said trackway, means for selectively moving said 1clinds bodily along' vsaid tracifzway or outwardly with said traclzway as a pivot,'and automatically-acting means to prevent lateral `movement of said blinds after said movement outwardly has commenced.

2. A shutter construction for building openings comprising asupporting trackway adapted to be pos"'oned above a building opening, apair of shutter blinds each having and pivotally engaging said'tracliway, means for selectively moving said blinds bodily along said trackway or outwardly with said trackway as a pivot, and automatically-acting means to prevent any other direction of movement 0I" when the selected direction of movement commenced.

3. A shutter construction ier building openings comprising a frame about said opening, a supporting traclrway positioned on said frame above said opening and having an upstanding edge portion spaced outwardly therefrom, a shutter blind having a wooden frame, an inwardly projecting wooden strip attached to the upper edge of said blind, a guard strip secured to the under face of said first-named strip in spaced relation to the inner surface of said blind to provide a channelway for engaging said traokway, a downwardly and inwardly beveled face on said guard strip to permit said trackway to serve as a pivot member for the outward movement of said blind, means to prevent upward disengagement of said blind from said trackway, and means adjacent the lower edge oi said blind to move the same outwardly and to hold said blind in a predetermined position of outward adjustment.

4. A closure construction comprising a frame about a building opening, a supporting trackway positioned on said frame above said opening and having an upstanding track portion spaced outwardly from the adjacent surface, a closure, an inwardly projecting strip attached to the upper edge of said closure and extending over substantially the entire width and length thereof, a guard strip secured to the under face of the first-mentioned strip in spaced relation to the inner surface of said closure to provide a channelway for engaging said track porti-on, and means to prevent upward disengagement of said closure from said trackway.

5. A closure construction comprising a supporting trackway adapted to be positioned above has said blinds.

means for slidably abui'lding opening, a closure having means for slidably andA piv'otally engaging said trackway, and means 'for moving said closure outwardly about trackway as a pivot and also for lock ing said closure against slidable movement along said trackway as the closure is moved outwardly.

6. A closure construction comprising a supporting trackway adapted t'obe positioned above a building opening, a plurality of closures having means for slidably and Vpivotally engaging said trackway, means for moving said closures outwardly about said trackway as a pivot,-means adapted to cooperate with the second-mentioned' means for looking said closures together, and

f means for moving said closure outwardly about said trackway as a pivot, the last-mentioned' means including a part adapted to be positioned inside the building for controlling the last-mentioned means.

8. The closure construction speciiied in claim 7 characterized in that one of said means is prevented rom moving the closure after the other means has begun its movement of the closure.

9. A closure construction comprising a supporting trackway adapted to be positioned above a building opening, a closure adapted for slidable movement along said trackway and for movement outwardly from said opening, means for sliding Y said closure along said trackway,

r means for moving said closure outwardly fromsaid opening, and means for preventing each of the first two mentioned means from moving the closure after initial movement thereof by the other of said first two mentioned means.

l0. The closure construction specified in claim 9 characterized in that said closure is positioned at the outer side of the building and in that said firsty two mentioned Ameans include parts adapted to be positioned insidek the building for controlling said first two mentioned-means.

11-; A closure construction comprising a supporting trackway adapted to be positionedfabove a building opening, a closure adapted for slidably and pivotally engaging said trackway, means for sliding said closure along said trackway, means for moving said closure lpivotally about said trackway, and means for preventing one of the rst two mentioned means from moving the closure after initial movement thereof by the other of said first two mentioned means.

12. A closure construction comprising a sup. porting trackway adapted to be positioned outside and above a building opening' having a closure associated'therewith, saidclosure being movable into open and closed positions relative to saidv opening, a second closure adapted for slidable movement along said-trackway and for movement outwardly from said opening, and means for imparting the slidable and outward movements to said secondclosure, said means being controllable from inside the building regardless of the position oi the iirst mentionedl closure.

13. A closure construction comprising a supporting trackway adaptedl to be positionedv outside and above a building opening having a closure associated therewith, said closure being adapted to close saidv opening, a second closure j adapted for slidable movement along saidV trackway and formovement outwardly from-saidopening, means for sliding said secondclosure along said trackway, said means being controllable from inside the building when said opening is closed by the iirst mentionedclosure, and means for moving said second closure outwardly from said opening, the last mentioned` means alsovbeing controllable from inside the building when saidv opening is closed by the first mentioned closure.

14. The closurevconstruction specied in claim 13-characterized in that one ofI said means is prevented from moving saidE second closure-after the other of said means has begun its movement of said second closure.

JOSEPH L. BARTH. 

